Raymond Lotta: The Rape of the Congo & Your Cell Phone

[MayGodsBeLess]

en.cubadebate.cu/news/2012/02/­13/usaid-contractor-work-cuba-­detailed/ I never understood why Cuba was so against using these kinds of electronic devices until now.

[yakis072]

Can I contact you...It's about Congo please!!

[salinagrrrl69]

central planning = socialism = communism = imperialism = death = statists

[vivascargill]

well said--I also hate cell phones--they make people stupid--and the Congo tell  me about it I Hate the beast USA and cell phones under socialism no cell phones this guy isn't arthur but he's pretty good! I hate cell phones too

[dal4018]

@vivascargill Thanks again Viva for the 411 on cell phones and how the Congolese caught hell because of their creations.

[vivascargill]

@dal4018 excellent video

[dal4018]

@vivascargill Yes it is thanks again

[vivascargill]

@dal4018 I have heard nothing about Ghana fill me in!!

[dal4018]

@vivascargill I'am in the dark about Ghana as well was hoping that you could enlighten me.

[dal4018]

@vivascargill Viva could you find info on Ghana someone metioned its a Digital Dumping Ground FOR WHAT???????

[deyvisMD]

please in spanish, traduction ... Estoy muy interesado en sus opiniones vertidas sobre el socialismo

[hbar1212]

No ism alone will do. A little from each is more like it. If we use our heads, we will handle the infinite complexity of everything. In a word, intuition is the answer science is finding, because intuition gets at the facts the mind has already handled with ease. We only have to access the whole mind with intuition. For instance, Einstein said that, "The only real valuable thing is intuition." Everyone in who's who says about the same. Corps have dumbed us down to their advantage, not ours

[TheSwiech]

Socialism = good

Communism = bad

Its failed sooooo badly in every environment.

I vote for a socailized capitialist system and corporate responsability.

Say NO to communism.

[XxmattitudexX]

how have those communist governments worked for you in the past.

people need more reward for more work.

simply saying everyone is equal will not make it so and the people working harder will feel ripped off and not be motivated to do the best work they can.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

Throwing your cell phone out now won't do much to solve the issue since the damage has already been done. However, raising awareness about imperialism and exploitation of workers will.

[MaoistRebelNews]

@juliaisafilmbuff123 not to mention the abuse of of dumping sites. See

Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground

[margoheights]

Robert- I've been following Lotta and Bob Avakian for some time. One thing their works don't ignore and get into is the question of human nature--how people transformed themselves in the process of transforming the world during past revolutions--and how that can happen again in a much greater way. It is capitalism that's the root of this mess, framing how people think, setting people into competition with each other, and compelling those who want to "survive" to exploit nature and other people.

[Seattlecarnut]

It's too bad so many of our electronic goods were made using slave labour. :( I don't use my cell phone very much, but I have one. Its parts were made in places like China, Japan or even Sri Lanka.

[RobertWhitlock]

Wow, powerful stuff. I had heard about coltan coming from Africa, and that there are problems with it. But is all of that information about cell phones really true? Is it as bad as he says it is?

Mr. Lotta makes it sound very urgent. And I suppose it really is urgent. It's just so easy to take for granted, half a world away.

We need the truth & to hear these stories.

"Our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system." — Dorothy Day

[Briannathegreat]

People should spread this online everywhere! Millions of people are going to go see the new micheal moore movie to see what the problem is but this webcast will have solutions!

[RobertWhitlock]

I must say however, that I prefer the concept of evolution, than revolution.

For example, instead of seeking to take over and conquer society and put in place a system that is more just - I think it would be better to tackle the root causes of violence, ecological degradation, and social injustice... One of the root causes is some peoples' desires to have power over others.

So, how can we create a society where people don't have, or even desire to have, power over others...

break the chain

[dayday98765]

Yes Robert - it really is that urgent. Think of what those numbers mean in real living terms:

- yr cell phone, playstation etc. wouldn't work w/o coltan

- 80% of world's reserves of coltan are found in the Congo

- this coltan is mined thru super exploitation, child labor & slave labor

- western powers fueled a civil war in the Congo which cost the lives of 5 mill people, rape was a weapon of mass intimidation & the effects are still being felt today.

[dayday98765]

But the world doesn't have to be this way!

Tune in to the webcast on Tues - info at revolutionbooksnyc (dot) org

[carolavigdor]

This is a must see video for anyone who really wants to know why things in the world are the way they are and how a new world can be brought into being where the types of oppressive and exploitative horrors that millions and millions of people have to live under no longer exists.Something like a cell phone which many of us take for granted drips with the blood of so many people. And Raymond Lotta breaks it down clearly and passionately and it all rings so true. This is a must see video!